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DPH proposes cutting deputy posts, expanding behavioral‑health response; clinicians and advocates push for full divestment
Summary
San Francisco Department of Public Health presented a security staffing plan to replace some sheriff deputies with behavioral-health teams and community ambassadors; the plan drew extensive public comment from clinicians and advocacy groups urging faster, broader divestment of law enforcement from hospitals and clinics.
The San Francisco Department of Public Health on May 4 unveiled a plan to reduce the presence of sheriff deputies in health‑system settings and expand a Behavioral Emergency Response Team (BERT) and clinic‑based ambassadors as alternatives to armed law‑enforcement staff. DPH Director of Security Basil Price said the changes are aimed at aligning safety work with health‑care goals and reducing racial disparities in use‑of‑force incidents.
"Our goals for this Safety Service Plan is to provide a safe environment, secure environment for patients, staff, as well as visitors," Price said during his presentation, outlining a phased shift from uniformed deputies toward clinical and non‑uniformed responses.
Price described data showing a high share of law‑enforcement use‑of‑force incidents in hospitals and said the proposed staffing adjustments would include an…
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